74 research outputs found
Microstructure, magneto-transport and magnetic properties of Gd-doped magnetron-sputtered amorphous carbon
The magnetic rare earth element gadolinium (Gd) was doped into thin films of
amorphous carbon (hydrogenated \textit{a}-C:H, or hydrogen-free \textit{a}-C)
using magnetron co-sputtering. The Gd acted as a magnetic as well as an
electrical dopant, resulting in an enormous negative magnetoresistance below a
temperature (). Hydrogen was introduced to control the amorphous carbon
bonding structure. High-resolution electron microscopy, ion-beam analysis and
Raman spectroscopy were used to characterize the influence of Gd doping on the
\textit{a-}GdC(:H) film morphology, composition, density and
bonding. The films were largely amorphous and homogeneous up to =22.0 at.%.
As the Gd doping increased, the -bonded carbon atoms evolved from
carbon chains to 6-member graphitic rings. Incorporation of H opened up the
graphitic rings and stabilized a -rich carbon-chain random network. The
transport properties not only depended on Gd doping, but were also very
sensitive to the ordering. Magnetic properties, such as the spin-glass
freezing temperature and susceptibility, scaled with the Gd concentration.Comment: 9 figure
The Frequency Dependent Conductivity of Electron Glasses
Results of DC and frequency dependent conductivity in the quantum limit, i.e.
hw > kT, for a broad range of dopant concentrations in nominally uncompensated,
crystalline phosphorous doped silicon and amorphous niobium-silicon alloys are
reported. These materials fall under the general category of disordered
insulating systems, which are referred to as electron glasses. Using microwave
resonant cavities and quasi-optical millimeter wave spectroscopy we are able to
study the frequency dependent response on the insulating side of the
metal-insulator transition. We identify a quantum critical regime, a Fermi
glass regime and a Coulomb glass regime. Our phenomenological results lead to a
phase diagram description, or taxonomy, of the electrodynamic response of
electron glass systems
X-ray absorption study of the electronic structure of Mn-doped amorphous Si
The electronic structure of Mn in amorphous Si (a-Mn{sub x}Si{sub 1?x}) is studied by X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the Mn L{sub 3,2} edges for x = 0.005-0.18. Except the x = 0.005 sample, which shows a slight signature of Mn{sup 2+} atomic multiplets associated with a local Mn moment, all samples have broad and featureless L{sub 3,2} absorption peaks, corresponding to an itinerant state for all 3d electrons. The broad X-ray absorption spectra exclude the possibility of a localized 3d moment and explain the unexpectedly quenched Mn moment in this magnetically-doped amorphous semiconductor. Such a fully delocalized d state of Mn dopant in Si has not been previously suggested
Electrodynamics of a Coulomb Glass in n-type Silicon
Optical measurements of the real and imaginary frequency dependent
conductivity of uncompensated n-type silicon are reported. The experiments are
done in the quantum limit, , across a broad doping range
on the insulating side of the Metal-Insulator transition (MIT). The observed
low energy linear frequency dependence shows characteristics consistent with
theories of a Coulomb glass, but discrepancies exist in the relative magnitudes
of the real and imaginary components. At higher energies we observe a crossover
to a quadratic frequency dependence that is sharper than expected over the
entire dopant range. The concentration dependence gives evidence that the
Coulomb interaction energy is the relevant energy scale that determines this
crossover.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures; accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Let
Distinct local electronic structure and magnetism for Mn in amorphous Si and Ge
Transition metals such as Mn generally have large local moments in covalent semiconductors due to their partially filled d shells. However, Mn magnetization in group-IV semiconductors is more complicated than often recognized. Here we report a striking crossover from a quenched Mn moment (<0.1 {mu}{sub B}) in amorphous Si (a-Si) to a large distinct local Mn moment ({ge}3{mu}{sub B}) in amorphous Ge (a-Ge) over a wide range of Mn concentrations (0.005-0.20). Corresponding differences are observed in d-shell electronic structure and the sign of the Hall effect. Density-functional-theory calculations show distinct local structures, consistent with different atomic density measured for a-Si and a-Ge, respectively, and the Mn coordination number N{sub c} is found to be the key factor. Despite the amorphous structure, Mn in a-Si is in a relatively well-defined high coordination interstitial type site with broadened d bands, low moment, and electron (n-type) carriers, while Mn in a-Ge is in a low coordination substitutional type site with large local moment and holes (p-type) carriers. Moreover, the correlation between N{sub c} and the magnitude of the local moment is essentially independent of the matrix; the local Mn moments approach zero when N{sub c} > 7 for both a-Si and a-Ge
Dielectric properties and dynamical conductivity of LaTiO3: From dc to optical frequencies
We provide a complete and detailed characterization of the
temperature-dependent response to ac electrical fields of LaTiO3, a
Mott-Hubbard insulator close to the metal-insulator transition. We present
combined dc, broadband dielectric, mm-wave, and infrared spectra of ac
conductivity and dielectric constant, covering an overall frequency range of 17
decades. The dc and dielectric measurements reveal information on the
semiconducting charge-transport properties of LaTiO3, indicating the importance
of Anderson localization, and on the dielectric response due to ionic
polarization. In the infrared region, the temperature dependence of the phonon
modes gives strong hints for a structural phase transition at the magnetic
ordering temperature. In addition, a gap-like electronic excitation following
the phonon region is analyzed in detail. We compare the results to the
soft-edge behavior of the optical spectra characteristic for Mott-Hubbard
insulators. Overall a consistent picture of the charge-transport mechanisms in
LaTiO3 emerges.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures, 1 tabl
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